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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27116902">a handsome stranger</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/mossymoon/pseuds/mossymoon'>mossymoon</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Arcana (Visual Novel)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Drinking, Drinking &amp; Talking, Drunken Flirting, Drunken Kissing, F/M, First Kiss, Flirting, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Kissing, Neck Kissing, Romantic Fluff, takes place during the prologue</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 17:41:15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,005</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27116902</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/mossymoon/pseuds/mossymoon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>the apprentice's investigative work continues, but it seems there's more to this doctor devorak than meets the eye.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Apprentice &amp; Julian Devorak, Apprentice/Julian Devorak, Julian Devorak &amp; You, Julian Devorak/Reader, Julian Devorak/You</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>105</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>a handsome stranger</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>i recently started playing the arcana n julian's character really grew on me ♡ i'll most likely be posting some obey me stuff in the next few days, so thank u everyone for being patient w me (´･ᴗ･ ` ) pls enjoy !</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>there was something about that man that you couldn't quite put your finger on.</p><p>looking over his sharp features gave you the faintest flicker of recognition, the empty sensation in the back of your mind that you had met before, but the lack of memories only promised you more questions.</p><p>you knew that it was your duty as assigned to you by the countess to turn him in, to have him hanged as the debut to the masquerade. but that night he tugged you into the rowdy raven, you couldn't sense any sort of malice or deceit sitting at the booth with him, just this sort of aching loneliness echoing in his eyes, calling out to you from the moment he hung out of the rickety entrance offering you a drink.</p><p>perhaps that's why you found yourself trudging through the back alleys of vesuvia once again, maybe you felt pity for the mysterious stranger with a fatal fate. maybe it was something more. you settled on telling yourself it was all part of the investigation, a necessary secret to keep in the pursuit for the truth of the count's untimely demise.</p><p>it took you a bit longer to reach just going off of memory, but you felt a slight relief turning the corner and seeing the shop tucked amidst the cramped streets, the only one still glowing with life this late into the evening.</p><p>out of proximity of any royal guards, you felt at ease unwrapping your scarf, wandering into the tavern and quickly searching for the doctor. you had no trouble at all recognizing the tousle of auburn over the barriers of the booths, he was nearly a head taller than the backrests even while sitting.</p><p>your hurried footsteps made the old wood groan quietly beneath you, weaving through the mess of chairs and forgotten bottles and finally reaching him. when he turned up from his drink to look at you, you could see delight flash over his features, mouth tugging into a grin as he offered a outstretched hand to greet you.</p><p>"so we meet again, esteemed magician."</p><p>"so we do, doctor."</p><p>you gave him your hand, a pink flushing over both your cheeks when he pulled it to his face and pressed a kiss over your knuckles. his lips were warm, exposed eye bright as it took in your image before him, the familiar stench of salty bitters wafting from the half-empty glass on the table.</p><p>"please, do call me julian. i'd hardly refer to myself as a doctor, being out of practice for so long. and feel free to sit wherever." sliding into the empty side of the booth, he tipped his drink towards you and offered a sip, laughing when your face scrunched at the smell.</p><p>"i do suppose these aren't meant to be enjoyed." he said, downing the brew himself in one gulp, "so, what brought you back to these parts of town? besides seeing me obviously."</p><p>you couldn't help but chuckle at his over-confident expression, feeling a bit more at ease with his jaunty expression. "you know why i'm here, julian. the investigation." his face fell a bit at the mention of it, "i want your side of the story. no roundabout talk, just the truth."</p><p>he sighed, running a hand through his already mussed hair, eye searching your face for any sign of leeway and finding none. "you sure do drive a hard bargain.. can i at least get you a drink?"</p><p>you humored him, resting your head in your hands and your elbows on the table as you spoke. "fine, anything but one of those bitters though."</p><p>he smiled again, pleased that he could stall for time a bit longer. "i have just the thing for an admirable investigator such as yourself!"</p><p>he slipped off to the bar with a wink, chatting to the bartender as he ordered. he looked so at home amongst these people, you couldn't believe that he was the single suspect in a high profile murder, no less the suspect you had to inevitably turn in to be hanged at the palace gates. you'd only met each other a few times, but you already felt a sort of attachment to him. his uniquely wicked grin, the dramatic, larger-than-life manner he carried himself in despite having to blend in, and his ever-mounting list of tall tales he had to tell every time you gave him the chance.</p><p>a part of you already knew he was innocent, just this bone-deep intuition that echoed through you each time you laid eyes on him. you knew he wasn't to blame for this mess, no matter how guilty his conscience may be.</p><p>"a mystic mule!" his flagrant voice cut through your thoughts, a small copper cup set before you, containing a fizzing, unfamiliar liquid, "this was my favorite when i was younger, not too strong but just as delicious."</p><p>you smelt the rim of the cup before raising it to your lips, not breathing in any noisome odors that made your eyes water like the bitters did. the fresh taste of ginger washed over your tongue, the smart sting of alcohol mingling with it pleasantly as you swallowed. he was looking at you expectantly, waiting for your critique, much to your amusement. "i don't know why you've damned yourself to drinking what you do when there's this on the menu."</p><p>he laughed happily, raising his glass to you. "i suppose my tastes are just unrefined."</p><p>you don't know how long you both sat in the tavern, but it was long enough for the table to become far too crowded with empty glasses. you had started off trying to ease your way into questioning, allowing him to ramble on about his travels and his work as a plague doctor, but every time you asked something related to the investigation he somehow managed to change the subject entirely.</p><p>even though there was the deadline of the masquerade hanging over your head, you actually found yourself wanting to stay off the subject of the trial, finding much more pleasure in watching him speak expressively about whatever he felt like recounting. upon one of his returns from the bar, he slid into your side of the booth, pressing comfortably against your shoulder as he continued where he left off.</p><p>his hands would wave climactically in the air, voice rising with emphasis on the important parts of his tales despite it starting to slur, head always turning down to see your reaction. you couldn't help but smile at each and every one. he looks so vibrantly beautiful in the warm glow of the tavern lanterns, coat shed many glasses ago and the buttons of his pale cotton shirt liberally unbuttoned to reveal the beginnings of his chest.</p><p>you found yourself leaning into his sturdy frame, an arm eventually falling around your shoulders and holding you to him with a comforting squeeze. the alcohol made you crave his touch, not enough to openly ask but enough for you to accept every small invitation he gave for you to get closer. he clearly seemed to feel it too, that energy of wanting clouding the air of the booth.</p><p>the bar had quieted to a dull roar, lacking enough volume for both of you to shut out the presence of other patrons completely. for the moment, it was just you and julian, discussing the misadventures of his traveling days without a care in the world. you were so captivated by his performance that you didn't notice his hand reaching to turn your face until you were looking up at him, his eye glimmering with something familiar.</p><p>"you know, i wouldn't mind staying like this forever," he murmured, suddenly much more soft spoken than a few moments ago, "being the handsome stranger that drinks the night away bantering with you, the illustriously enchanting magician."</p><p>you laughed softly, appreciating the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled. "that sounds like quite the leisurely eternity."</p><p>"so you admit that i'm handsome, even if i am a stranger?"</p><p>you resisted the urge to roll your eyes, relinquishing your answer with a few slow nods. a blush bloomed across his face once again, from this close you could count the small freckles dotting sparsely across his cheekbones.</p><p>"although," your words drew your attention back to his eye, "it doesn't quite feel like we're strangers, does it?"</p><p>his face seemed closer, somehow even closer than before, lips just a breath away from your own. you could sense that ever-present despair lurking beneath his grey irises. "no, my dear, it doesn't."</p><p>for a brief moment his face was conflicted, like he thought about pulling away but knew he only wanted to keep pushing forward. you didn't give him a second chance to debate, pressing a reassuring peck on the corner of his mouth. his gaze softened, then shut, the hand resting on your shoulder moving to the nape of your neck, guiding your lips back to his. your own hand rose to grasp the one at your face, fingers lacing easily with his like you'd done it a hundred times before.</p><p>his lips were plush, warmly embracing your own, pressing deeper, touch clinging to you like you'd disappear if he lost hold of you for even a moment. you were easing even further into his arms, letting out a soft hum when you felt his fingers working into your hair.</p><p>there was a sudden rattling from the door, both of you pulling apart just in time to see a flash of black shoot through the tavern and collide with one of the lanterns, then the distinct squawking of a raven.</p><p>"the royal guards!" someone cried, sending the everyone in the tavern into a frenzy.</p><p>before you could even begin to clear your head, julian was tugging you out of the booth, snatching up his cloak with the hand not holding yours and sprinting through a narrow corridor of the bar with you in tow. throwing open a backdoor, you burst out onto the street, the humid evening air billowing through your clothes as you both twisted and turned through the cramped alleyways of the south end.</p><p>you could hear the pounding stomps and clanging armor of the aforementioned guards starting to grow distant, but julian didn't relent, leaving you gasping for air as you struggled to match his long, unorganized strides. the pavement was terribly uneven beneath your feet, cracked dirty walls whirring past, the alcohol leaving your eyes unable to properly focus.</p><p>you couldn't have been running for more than two minutes, but you were left feeling like your breath had been unceremoniously squeeze from your lungs by the end of it, the chase concluding as julian threw open a door hidden amongst the ruined bricks and ushered you inside.</p><p>it was so cramped you couldn't call the space a room, barely lit by the moonlight peeking through the cracks in the door, more like a closet that could only comfortably fit a single person. this was made clear when julian's body pressed into yours, the door shutting quietly behind you.</p><p>your heart was racing, almost lightheaded from the adrenaline and spirits coursing through you. you summoned a small flicker of light at your fingertips, raising a shaky hand to illuminate julian's face. he was in a similar state, flushed red and panting softly, sweat beading at his forehead. your back was to the furthest wall of the closet, and the glow of magic confirmed that this was the most convenient way to orient yourselves.</p><p>"it seems our little excursion caught you by surprise." he breathed, cracking a smile even when your eyes narrowed at him.</p><p>"it <em>seems</em> like wherever you go, trouble follows."</p><p>"you should've known that much by now. and here i was thinking magicians were supposed to be clever."</p><p>"hush, you." you retorted, moving your free hand to press a silencing finger to his lips.</p><p>before it could make it to its destination, he caught your wrist, mouth tugging into a smirk. "oh? and how might you go about hushing me?"</p><p>he raised a suggestive eyebrow, drawing a low huff of irritation from you, though you couldn't help but blush. "this is hardly the place to do that sort of thing.."</p><p>"what could you possibly mean?" he feigned innocence, the narrowing of the space between your faces making your magic sputter, light wavering uncertainly.</p><p>the words tumbled out of your mouth before you could realize he was baiting you, the alcohol leaving you less aware than you should've been in this situation. "maybe a b-bedroom or something, but not in an alleyway while we're on the run..!"</p><p>you were both surprised at the openness of your remark, his eye going wide before he regained his cool composure, the reddening tips of his ears giving away his embarrassment.</p><p>"so you're saying you'd like to bedroom things with me then-"</p><p>"stop putting words in my mouth!" you said a bit too loudly, both of you going completely silent for a few tense moments to listen for anyone that might be approaching.</p><p>he let out a breath of relief when no sound besides the evening breeze came from outside the closet, turning his attention back to you, the faint light of your palm giving his features a dim glow.</p><p>you began again, mindful of your voice this time. "i mean.. it's hard to not jump to those sorts of conclusions, especially after the bar..."</p><p>he breathed a soft chuckle, lips nearly grazing yours. "i suppose you wouldn't like to pick up where we left off?"</p><p>his words and his actions were infuriatingly contradictory, leaving no appropriate response other than reciprocation. so that's exactly what you did. it was so easy to melt into his kiss, the hand not in his grasp relieving itself of its luminescent duty in favor of grasping the collar of his shirt. the pace of your heart picked up to the hammer it was at when you were sprinting down the streets, skin alight with his warmth as it permeated through you. he guided the hand in his grasp around his neck, giving a low hum of approval when it found it's way into his hair.</p><p>he seemed less tentative than he was at the tavern, snaking an arm around your waist and tugging your body flush against his. you could feel the tip of his tongue graze your bottom lip, slipping between your teeth when you allowed it to. he was intoxicating, leaving you unabashedly clinging to him just as he was during your first kiss.</p><p>you were panting quietly when he pulled away, his lips pressing over your cheek, then your jaw, the hand not holding you to him pulling down your scarf to reveal your neck to him. your fingers reflexively tightening in his hair, head tilting to the side to invite more faint kisses.</p><p>you couldn't help but arch into him at the feeling of him nestling into the crook of your neck, sucking on the sensitive skin without care for if he was leaving a mark. you could feel a familiar warmth flare in your stomach, whining softly as you raked your hand through his silken locks.</p><p>the inebriation stifling your judgement let you forget about the consequences, filling in the gaps with the desire for more of his knowing touch. that careless thought was cut short by the feeling of something wrapping around your calf, slithering its way up your leg with an eager speed.</p><p>"faust."</p><p>you tugged julian's head back with more force than you meant to, drawing a pleased groan from him before he acknowledged the presence of the snake now resting on your shoulders. his eye widened drastically, seeming to resist the urge to yelp as he focused his gaze back to your face.</p><p>"it's my master's familiar, he must've sent for me." you told him, a silent recognition of your requested departure passing between you.</p><p>he nodded and flushed, looking away, embarrassed. "i um.. i accidentally left... on your neck.."</p><p>you instinctively felt for the spot his mouth was, a soft ache echoing across your skin when you pressed down. quickly wrapping your scarf around your neck and hair, his worries seemed to be calmed by your easy solution.</p><p>you both stood in silence for a moment, neither wanting to be the first to say goodbye, but a gentle nudge from faust made you reluctantly speak. "i guess that's the end of tonight's journey then."</p><p>"i guess it is.."</p><p>he was obviously displeased with being interrupted, but he seemed almost saddened to see you go. that inkling of affection made your heart skip, offering a small smile up at him before you began to brush past him towards the door.</p><p>"wait..!" he stopped you with a hand on your shoulder, eye fluttering over your face like he wanted to memorize every bit of it, "won't you come back for another drink sometime?"</p><p>"of course, julian." you murmured, seeing a brief expression of relief brighten his features.</p><p>he pressed a lingering kiss over your lips, finally resigning to the end of your time together. "then.. ill let you be on your way."</p><p>pulling up a layer of your scarf to cover the bottom half of your face, you slipped out of the corridor, wandering back through the alleys and returning to the main road. as much as you wanted to run back and find him, you knew that you had to return to the shop to recount to asra the events of the last few days. he could probably work more efficiently than you could at solving the mystery of the count's murder, but you knew that together the resolution would come much easier than it would alone.</p><p>and so the night drew to a close as you approached the heavy door of the shop, but your endless thoughts and questions about julian persisted. you knew in your heart that he was more than just a handsome stranger. </p>
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